


Promises of the First Born

by Julia451



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 07:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14327661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julia451/pseuds/Julia451
Summary: One-shot about the Manjoume (Princeton) brothers. As a partially sympathetic first born, I tried to get inside Chosaku's (Slade's) head as well as fill in the gaps in their past. Just something I wrote for an hour in college in response to a challenge. (Rating for mention of deaths.)





	Promises of the First Born

It was the duty of the first born to make every promise and sacrifice necessary for the good of the family. Most people recorded their lives in terms of days, months, and years. His life was better recorded in terms of promises.

When he was ten, listening to their parents fight long and loud into the night, he promised his frightened brother as he placed his arm protectively around his shoulders that it would all be over in the morning.

When he was thirteen and his sighs of boredom over his homework elicited glares of disappointment and speeches about upholding the family pride from across the table, he promised his dad he would do better.

When he was seventeen and his dad stormed out the door after hearing the last news he wanted to hear, he let his mom hide her tears in his shoulder as he promised her she could still depend on him.

When they heard about the car accident the next morning, he promised his family he would take care of them from now on.

Eight months later, he let himself cry (just a little) as he promised his new brother a father would be there for him when he needed one.

Just a few hours later, he had to promise his brothers he would be both a father and mother now, and he couldn’t let himself cry.

One week later, he promised the judge he could be responsible for the two boys he’d promised to protect, and in keeping the Princeton brothers together, hoped to also keep his promise to uphold the Princeton honor.

One year later, he unconvincingly promised the man leaving his office wearing a maliciously satisfied grin that the Princeton empire would flourish like it never had under its last master.

He resolutely promised the lawyer seated across the desk (one after another, probably, but all the same to him) mumbling “Like father, like son” that he would show him, after his brother as often as not.

As he stood next to his brother and partner, looking out a glass window twenty stories high, he promised the world below that they would learn to fear and respect the name Princeton the hard way.

He promised the only child left amongst the three of them that he would never let him grow into a slacker.

When his promises began to fall apart thanks to the weakest link in the Princeton blood, he promised himself as he mounted the duel disk on his wrist for the first time that he would not fail.

It was the first promise he ever broke.

It was the first time he wondered whether every promise and sacrifice he had made that was best for the family was ultimately best for the brothers.


End file.
